Steam-engine



(Nn Model.)

J. B. SHAFFER.

| STEAM ENGINE. A No. 273,171. Patented 1'eb.27, 1883.

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.UNITED STATES PATENT (Trice.

JOHN B.v SHAFFER, OF KEARNEY, NEBRASKA.

STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 273,171, dated February 27, 1883.

Application" filed May 2, 1882.V (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. Samana, of Kearney, in the county of Buffalo and State of Nebraska, have invented new and useful 4Improvements iu Steam-Engines, of which the following is 'a full, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part vof this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the iigures.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a compound engine constructed in accordance with my'invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view ot" the same. Fig. 3 is a side view ofthe two cranks of the engine; and Fig. 4, a vertical transverse section upon a larger scale, showing a. peculiarly-constructed piston-rod guide.

The invention relates to improvements in steam-engines; and it consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, A indicates the high-press ure eylinderof the engine, and B the low-pressure cylinder thereof. These cylinders are arranged one below the other, but not parallel with each other, their axial lines, it' extended, meeting in an acute angle atl the center ofthe engine-shaft C. The low-pressure cylinder B is of double the length ot' stroke, or thereabout, of the high-pressure cylinder A. The cylinders A B are provided with piston-rods b c, having pistons of the usual construction, for reciprocating-in the cylinders. The rod b of the high-pressurecylinder pistonis connected to a sliding cross-head, (l, to which is attached a pitman, e, that connects with a wristpin,f, on a disk, F, which is fast on the engineshaft C, while the rod c of the low-pressure-cylinder piston is connected to a cross-head, g, from which is a pitman, h, that connects with the wrist-pin t' of a second crank or arm, G, which is fast on the wrist-pinf. In such arrangement the disk F forms the one crank and the arm G the other ot' a compound or double crank, as shown in Fig. 3, in which a crank properissubstitutedforthedisk. Thesecranks are so set that when either one is on its deadcenter the other one is on the quarter-circle. Gonseqently the engine is free from dead-center action or pressure, and a fly-wheel for passing 'the cranks over their dead-centers may be dispensed with. The low-pressure cylinder B has it slidevalve operated by an eccentric, 7c, and rod l from the engine-shaft U.

The motion of the engine may be reversed by slackening a set-screw,1*,whicl1locks a key, s, that secures the crank G on the Wrist-pinj', taking out said key and moving the parts around till the keyway in said crank comes in line with a second keyway, u, in the wrist-pill, when the key may be inserted and the setscrew tightened to hold the crank G in the changed position on the wristfpin, the eccentric which operates the valve also being changed to correspond.

J is a circular main frame, having an opening in its center for insertion of the main bearing, which carries the en gine-shaft. This frame, which acts as a brace, is extended to also form ways l L', on-wliich anti-friction rollers on m', arranged at the ends of thecross-head g, travel. These anti-friction rollers are grooved to iit said Ways, and are carried by boxes or frames m2, adjustable within either end of the crosshead relatively to eitherway by means of a key, n', to secure a close but easy tit of said rollers on or against the ways, and whereby friction of the cross-head is materially reduced. Said frame J is suitably constructed to provide for the working of the pitman e through and Within it.

The cross-head d of the piston-rod of the high-pressure cylinder is constructed to slide on and along guides o2 o2, which project irom and may bein one piece with the head orcover of the cylinder A.

The brace-frame J and the parts connected therewith form no part of the present application, and I desire it to be understood that I reserve the right hereafter to make a separate application for Letters Patent therefor.

When the engine is a stationary one a governor, K, is applied. This governor may consist ot' an upright frame, rotated by gearing which derives its motion from the en gine-shaft, said frame rotating upon and around a fixed standard, and carrying three (more or less) bowed steel wires or springs, c3, which are attached at their upper ends to a head-piece mounted on a rod that is capable of moving up and down within a central tubular upright IOO of the frame for the purpose of controlling a y,valve on the bottom of said rod within the y"steam-inlet.

Upon the steel wires a are any number of adjustable balls or weights, which, by their centrifugal motion, in common with the wires a3, more or less fle-x said wires, aol oording to the speed at which the governor' runs, and so raise or lower the valve-rod, with its attached valve. Thisgovernor, together with means for preventing backlash ot' the gearing by which it is driven, and for steadying the motion ofthe governor, it is my intention to make the subject of a separate application for Letters Patent.

I am aware that cylinders arranged at angles to each other and driven by a double crank from a single drive-shaft are not broadly new 5 and l therefore do not Claim such, `my invenranged atan angle to each other, the double d crank F G, and the ways l l o2 o2, of the pitmen h e, the cross-heads d g, the anti-friction rollers m', the adjustable bearings m2, and the adjusting-Wedges u', substantialtiT as and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN B. SHAFFER.

Witnesses E. M. CUNNINGHAM, C. H. DUNGAN. 

